Buckle



' J. E. SMITH.

' BUCKLE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13, 1920.

1,406,770. Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

' UNSIED STATES "PATENT, QF'FICE.

JA ES rnILIr SMITH, or naivir'roiv ROADS, VIRGINIA.

aoa'rvo.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES PHILIP SMITH, a citizen, of the United States of America, residing at Hampton Roads, in the county of, llorfolk; and State of Virginia, have invented new and'useful Improvements in Buckles of which-the following is a specification. a v

The object of the invention is to provide .a garment supporter ofthe garter type em- --bodying a single length of elastic and having the adjustable features necessary to: adapt it; to be fitted to the wearer and hence suitable for either adult or childrens use, and more particularly toprovide an article of this type in which the application of the attachments necessary to provide for engage ment with the garment a support may be effected with the minimum of preparation and work, to the end that the cost of pro duction may be proportionately reduced; and also to provide a device ofthis type wherein the replacement of the elastic element which alone is subject to deterioration by use may be replaced by the consumer to prolong the usefulness of the article; and with these objects in view the invention con sists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of a garter embodying the invention showing the parts in their normal or operative positions.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the extenside slide and related parts of the elastic band, taken longitudinally of the latter.

Figure is a similar view of the slide grip.

Figure 41: is a similar view of the garment engaging means.

Figures 5 6 and 7 are detached views respectively of the catch, the extension slide and the slide grip.

Figures 8 and 9 are sin'lilar views of the loop and stud constituting the complemental members of the garment engaging means.

The elastic band 10 is of single piece c011- struction or in other words is of a continuous length doubled upon itself to form a loop 11 for engagement with the catch 12 having a hook 18 for engagement with either end of the slide grip 14;. The catch in addition to the hook or tongue embodies an eye 15 through which the 100p of the elastic Specification of Letters Patent.

BUCKLE.

Application filed. December 13, 1920. Serial No. 430,317.

.band extends and with which it has a runn ng engagement so as to he had in the bight of the loop regardless of the length thereof and hence regardless of the adjustment of the band. One end of the band is attached to the extension slide 16 which is of substantially elliptical form with parallel slots 17 through which the body portion of the band is threaded,- the free end of the band also being threaded in the reverse direction through said slots and being doubled upon itself and stitched to form an enlargement or stop 18 which prevents the end of the band from becoming accidentally detached from theslide while permitting the slide to be moved upon the body portion of the band to vary the length of the loop 11 and hence the Operative length of the garter. -Thedeflection of the body portion of the band in passing successively through the slots in the slide serves to afford a sufficient frictional resistance to provide against the accidental slipping of the slide while permitting adjustment when suflicient force is applied thereto.

1 The slide grip 1a is also preferably of a generally elliptical form with registering slits 19 formed in the opposite sides thereof in the plane of the slide to permit of the extension of the band therethrough in spanning relation with the central opening of the slide which in this opening may be deflected fromthe plane of the slide as indicated in Figure 1 and in Figure 3 to permit of the engagement of the hook or tongue of the catch with either end thereof, and this deflection of the band when the catch is engaged with the grip serves to prevent accidental or objectionable sliding movement of the grip upon the band when the garter is in use whereas when the catch is disengaged therefrom to permit the band to occupy a flat position in the plane of the grip, the latter will readily be shifted longitudinally of the band to adapt it to the convenience of the weareix The means for attachment to the garment transversely as indicated at 22, the free end of the band being extended to form a tongue 23 which is reenforced at its extremity as shown at 2 by a further backward doubling of said band to house the base 25 of the stud 20 which latter is preferably of rubber or like yielding material and which is adapted to be received in the reduced or narrow portion of the loop 19 to engage an interposed portion of the garment as in the ordinary practice involving a garment engaging means in this general type.

In assembling the parts of the garter it will be obvious that the band may be threaded successively through the several elements consisting of the extension slide, catch, slide grip and loop, and the extremities thereof may thereupon be folded and stitched to respectively form the'stop for engagement with the extension slide, the loop 21, for engaging and holding the loop of the garment engaging means, and the base of the stud with a minimum' of effort and expenditure of time, and when the three lines of stitching required to effect the formation of said stop, loop 21 and reinforcement 23 have been produced the device is completed and ready for I use, with the range of adjustment as to size and adaptability which enables it to carry a minimum number of stock sizes.

The various attachments including the catch, extension slide, slide grip and the loop of the garment engaging means may be made of any suitable stiff material, preferably non-metallic such as fibre, bone, ivory, hard rubber, celluloid or the like.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new and useful is 1. A slide grip for use with a garter consisting of a single continuous band, the same being of centrally open construction and having slits formed in its sides in parallelism with its top and bottom faces for sliding engagement with the band.

2. A slide grip for garters consisting of a continuous band, the same being of elliptical ring form and having its sides slitted in parallelism with the plane of the ring to dispose the band in spanning relation with the open center thereof for the deflection of the band from the plane of the ring for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature.

JAMES PHILIP SMITH. 

